All our home automatic generators are single phase, 60 Hertz (Hz)
120/240 Volts (V), matching your home’s normal utility power.
The size (power) of a generator is measured by its rated power output,
designated in Watts (W) or in Kilowatts (kW or 1,000W), and is the
product of it's amperage (Amp) and it's voltage(V). Home generator
sizes vary from 8kW to 100kW and can support selected critical circuits
or the entire house load.

A frequently asked question is “What size generator do I need
for my home?”. The answer to this question is complex as it
involves many factors including your requirements (what emergency
lighting, appliances, and equipment circuits you want to include),
your home’s utility supplier details (the number and size
of your electrical panel/s, the energy supply source (Elect/NG/LP/Oil)
and size (Btu, pressure, tank size, etc.) of your home’s equipment,
the type and specifications of your equipment (size and type of
motors, etc.), the layout and size of your home, your electrical
usage history, and your budget (how much you want to spend on the
system!).

There are many popular sizing charts available that allow you to
determine on your own the size of the generator you need. While
these charts are informative and user friendly, they fail to provide
an accurate estimate of the electrical load required. Using these
charts, people tend to pick out an outlet in the bedroom, lights
in the kitchen, a computer in the study, or a garage door, and just
add up the individual wattage of these selections. In fact, what
must be added to the wattage calculation is the total load on the
entire circuits that contain those selections, which may result
in a value for the total required wattage that is several times
that of the one computed by a sizing chart. This is because the
electrical installation involves the relocation of an entire circuit
into the emergency panel and not the individual outlet selected.
Our clients who have used these charts are surprised when told that
they cannot have a 10kW automatic generator system to back-up their
entire home's 200 Amp electrical panel . Theoretically, the generator
size needed to support a 200 Amp panel is a 48kW (200 Amp multiplied
by 240 V), but that too may be unreasonable from a code/practical/budget
perspective. In this example, the final size proposed will usually
be somewhere in the middle, maybe a 25kW. This determination can
only be made after a thorough on-site technical evaluation of all
the items discussed above.

As a general guide only, we can suggest allocating 1,000 Watts of
generator power for each single pole (120V) 15-20 Amp circuit, and
allocating 2,000 watts for every 10 Amp of each double pole (240V)
circuit. For example, a 15-20 Amp SP general lighting circuit and
a 20 Amp DP well pump require a 5,000 watt (5kW) generator.

For practical purposes, we grouped our home automatic generators
into three size categories: small (8-13kW), medium (18-35kW) and
large (45-100kW) systems.

Small
Size Generators:

Small
size generators range from 8-13kW (Specifications
Chart) and represent the large majority of our home generators.
They are air cooled, typically 2 cylinder NG/LP gas fueled engines
that run at 3600 RPM. The generators are located outdoors and
are placed on a polymer pad roughly 2’ by 4’. They
have a heavy gauge metal weatherproof enclosure with lockable
doors and produce a typical noise level between 70-73db at 23
feet (Noise Levels). The generators are
permanently connected to the existing fuel source and come with
a 50-60 Amp Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS), which also houses
the emergency circuits. These systems can support selected critical
circuits that could include two (2) gas or oil furnaces, a hot
water heater fan, a fridge, a freezer, a water well and an ejector
pump, a sump pump, a plug-in microwave, and 5 to 6 15/20 Amp single
pole circuits for general lighting, television, computer, telephone
and security system. These generators come with a 12V car battery
and a battery trickle charge; a battery warmer, and an oil heater
are offered as options for cold weather conditions.

Due to the fact that these generators are air cooled and need
proper ventilation they cannot be equipped with custom sound-attenuating
enclosures to further reduce the noise levels. These generators
have appealing enclosures in standard colors such as beige or
earth tone.

Larger transfer switches are available as an option but are not
recommended for standard applications.

The all inclusive turnkey cost of these systems ranges from $8,000
to $12,000 depending on the size, manufacturer, options, site
conditions, and difficulty of installation.

Medium
Size Generators:

Medium size generators range from 18-35kW (Specifications
Chart) and represent about 25% of our home generators. They
are liquid cooled, 4 cylinder, NG/LP gas fueled engines that run
at 1800 RPM. The generators are located outdoors and are placed
on a concrete pad roughly 3’ by 7’. They have a heavy
gauge metal weatherproof enclosure (standard) with lockable doors
and can be additionally equipped with a custom sound-attenuated
enclosure that reduces the noise level at 23 feet from around
72dB (standard enclosure) to around 56dB (Noise
Levels). The generators are permanently connected to the existing
fuel source and come with a 100 Amp Automatic Transfer Switch
(ATS), and a separate 100 Amp emergency sub-panel that houses
the selected critical emergency circuits. These systems can support
all the circuits included in the small size generators plus a
small (20 Amp) and a medium size (40 Amp) air conditioning units
plus 5 to 7 15/20 Amp single pole circuits. For an all-electric
home, an electric furnace or heat pump (and fireplaces!) may be
substituted for the medium size AC and a water heater may be substituted
for either the well/ejector pumps or 2 general circuits.

These generators come with 12V car battery and a bttery trickle
charge. Each unit has a block heater to help in cold weather conditions.

For special applications, a 200 Amp transfer switch is offered
as an option but only after an engineering evaluation is made
of the system details and the electrical loads.

The generators have appealing enclosures that come in standard
colors and can be customized as an option to blend in with the
house or surroundings. (Process, Pictures)

The all-inclusive turnkey cost of these systems ranges from $17,000
to $25,000 depending on the size, manufacturer, options, site
conditions, and difficulty of installation.

Large
Size Generators:

Large size generators (a.k.a. whole house generators) range from
45-100kW (Specifications Chart), and
represent about 10% of our home generators. They are liquid cooled,
6-12 cylinder, NG/LP gas fueled engines that run at 1800 RPM.
They are located outdoors and are placed on a concrete pad roughly
4’ by 9’. They have a heavy gauge metal weatherproof
enclosure (standard) with lockable doors and can be additionally
equipped with a custom sound-attenuated enclosure that reduces
the noise level at 23 feet from 78dB (standard enclosure) to 65dB
(Noise Levels). The generators are permanently
connected to the existing fuel source and come with a 200-600
Amp Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) to support the entire house
load, even for an all-electric home.

These generators come with a 12V car battery and battery trickle
charge. Each unit has a block heater to help in cold weather conditions.

For special applications, a 800-1200 Amp transfer switches are
offered as an option but only after an engineering evaluation
is made of the system details and the electrical loads.

The generators have appealing enclosures that come in standard
colors and can be customized as an option to blend in with the
house or surroundings. (Process, Pictures)

The all-inclusive turnkey cost of these systems ranges from $35,000
to $55,000 depending on the size, manufacturer, options, site
conditions, and difficulty of installation.

Generally
speaking, a small size generator system will be suitable
for most applications where homeowners are looking for basic
critical emergency lighting, appliances and equipment. When
air conditioning, electric ovens, dryers, other large electrical
240V appliances are added, or when special requirements
are specified (such as noise ordinances, etc.), then a medium
size system is recommended. When a substantial portion or
the entire house load is needed for total security and comfort,
then a large size system is recommeded.